Water-wheel regulator



(No Model.)

0. F. THAYER.

\ WATER WHEEL REGULATOR. 7 No. 297,873. Patenged Apr 29, 1884.

WITNESSES; INVENTOR,

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' UNIT D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES F. THAYER, or NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

WATER-WHEEL REGULATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 297,873, dated April29, 1884.

' Application filed November 26, 1883. (No model.)

fully set forth and described in thefollowing specification, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings.

My improvements relate particularly to that class of devices known asspeed-regulators or speed-governors, my immediate object being toprovide extremely simple and inexpensive mechanism which, when properlyattached to a water-wheel, will automatically control and regulate theflow of water as it enters the wheel and keep the speed at any desiredrate. To attain the best results, the governing mechanism should act onthe gate (to cut off or admit the supply of water) in the quickestmanner possible; otherwise the speed is continually varying andunsteady, In my new device I dispense with the train of inter- .mediatemechanism as used in most of the known governors, and so connect thewheelgate with a fly-ball governor that the slightest movement of thevertical shaft operated-by said governor will instantly act to open orclose said gate. Inasmuch as the movement of the vertical governor-shaftabove referred to must of necessity be very slight, I have arranged anewform of wheel-gate so constructed that a very slight movement openssaidgate to its greatest extent or shuts off the entire body of water.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the formof ball-governor which I prefer to use with my device, and also showsthe connecting-lever and counter-balance. Fig. 2 is an elevation of aturbine wator-wheel containing my new gate, a portion of the case andflume being cut away to expose said gate. Fig. 3 is a detached view ofmy movable gate, showing the side from which the water enters. Fig. 4 isa vertical edgewise section of Fig. 3, taken on line 00 00, and alsoshows in dotted circles the relative position of the friction-rollsagainst which the movable gate bears. Fig. 5 is an enlarged detachedview of both the movable and fixed gates,

taken on line 00 x, the gate being shown partly opened. Fig. 6. showsthe gate as closed.

In place of a gate constructed of a single metallic plate, as commonlyused in turbine wheels, I provide two plates, a b, plate a being fixedrigidly at or near the point where the water leaves the flume B'to enterthe wheel, plate b being located on the outer side of a-and adapted tomove vertically a distance sufficient to open and close said gate, asexplained hereinafter. Both these plates or b are provided with a seriesof horizontal openings or slots, 0 c, which, when the gate b is adjustedto admit the water, are open to each other, (see Fig.

5,) the size of the opening and body of water admitted being governedentirely by the greater or less movement of the sliding gate b. By suchan arrangement the entire flow of water can be cut off with a movementof gate b equal to the width of a single slot, 0, the ribs or solid partof b being then immediately in front of slots 0 (in a) and preventingthe water from entering. (See Fig. 6.)

It will be evident that the pressure of water against gate b wouldnaturally force it against a, generating such a degree of friction thatb could not be easily moved unless some provision is made to overcomesaid friction.

tle resistance tothe main body of water.

When gate b is open to its greatest extent, a movementequal to the widthof a single slot, as before stated, shuts off the entire supply ofwater, so that in agate having aseries of four slots, each two incheswide, a two-inch movement of said gate would entirely close all theopenings, or, in other words, the eight inches of open space would beclosed by a two-inch movement of the gate and gate-shaft, whereas inwheels as commonly constructed the gate must be actually raised eightinches to admit the same supply of water.

-While I prefer to open and close my new form of gate by a verticalmovement, as described, it will be easily seen that the slots c and ribsh could be arranged in vertical rows instead of horizontal, and themovable gate be operated by a lateral movement. Both of the gates a bcould be constructed to move (in opposite directions) to cut off oradmit the water quickly; but, as such forms would necessitate other andsomewhat complicated mechanism to operate them satisfactorily, I preferto use an arrangement, substantially as shown.

In place of slots 0 a, circular, square, or any desired shape of holescould be used, but would occasion extra care and labor in adjusting thetwo gates, so that said holes would open to each other and registercorrectly when the movable gate was raised.

In suddenly connecting or throwing off heavy machinery throughout themill a'considerable movement of the gate must now be made before thewheel feels the difference in the head and volume of water, whereas withmy new gate the distance traveled to accomplish the same result is soslight that the wheel feels the change in a fraction of the timerequired by the solid gate.

My device may be actuated by any form of governor now in use; but, onaccount of its simplicity and quick action, I prefer to use the generalform of fly-ball governor shown in Fig. 1, in which, as the balls 0 (Jare raised or lowered by an increase or decrease of speed, the verticalshaft (1 is raised or lowered to correspond. This vertical movement ofshaft d, I utilize to raise or lower gate I), a sufficient movement ofsaid shaft being obtained to produce the desired result.

The gate-shaft E could in some places be connected direct to thegovernor-shaft d,- but as it is not usually convenient to locate theflyball governor directly over the wheel, I provide the lever-arm F, bymeans of which the governor may be located at any desired point.

' Said lever-arm is fulcrumed, preferably, at or is immediatelyincreased, the balls 0 O are thrown outward and upward, and shaft d iscorrespondingly depressed. This forces the lever-arm F downward, raisingits outer end, which, being connected with the gate-shaft, causes gate bto rise, thus reducing the volume of water entering the wheel andcausing the speed to return to its normal rate. Should the speed becomereduced by the addition of extra or heavy machinery in the mill, theslower action of balls 0 O raises rod (1, and gate 1) is opened to admita greater supply of water to bring up the speed.

It will be noticed that when the lever-arm F is used the movement ofgate b to close it is up instead of down, as commonly used.

Having described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent 1. In combination with a water-wheel, as a means forsecuring quick action to admit or exclude the supply of water, thetwo-part gate a I), part a being secured rigidly in the case of thewheel, said part I) being adapted to slide vertically, both of saidparts a I) having horizontal slots or openings, which, as gate 1) israised or lowered, are opened to each other or closed, as hereinbeforedescribed.

2. In combination with a water-wheel having a fixed slotted gate, as ata, a vertically-sliding slotted gate, as at b,andaseries offrictionpulleys, a, so located that said sliding gate acts against saidpulleys to reduce friction in the act of raising or lowering b, asdescribed.

3. In combination with awater-wheel having a fixed slotted gate, as ata, an auxiliary slotted gate arranged to be raised or lowered to admitor excludethe supply of water,andhaving on its outer side, between slotsc,V-shaped ribs h,as described, and for the purpose specified.

4. In combination with a water-wheel having a slotted fixed gate, thesliding gate 1), having V-shaped ribs, and the friction-rolls c, allarranged as and for the object specified.

5. In combinationwith awater-wheelhaving the fixed slotted gate a andvertically-sliding slotted gate 1), the gate-shaft E, lever-arm F,counter-balance G,and a suitable fly-ball governor, all so arranged andconnected, as hereinbefore described, that said fiy-ball governor actsto raise or lower gate 1), as and for the purpose specified.

CHARLES F. TH AYER.

Vitnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, SILAS H. DEWEY.

